Peer-to-peer and group financial management systems and methods

ABSTRACT

This relates to transferring funds from a payer to a payee in a electronic payment system. The electronic payment system includes a payment processor and an accounts database. The payment processor receives a payment request from the payer. The payment request includes information to identify the payee and a payment amount. An accounts database is accessed to determine if the accounts database includes an account associated with the payee. Based on a determination that the accounts database includes an account associated with the payee, an electronic message is sent from the payment processor to the payee, to notify the payee of the payment request. The accounts database is accessed to determine if the payee is identified as having a trusted relationship with the payer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/778,459, filedMay 12, 2010, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 61/256,147, filed Oct. 29, 2009, all the above applications herebyincorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to computer-implemented systemsand methods for peer-to-peer and group financial management.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Electronic commerce, commonly known as electronic marketing, e-commerce,or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of products or servicesover electronic systems such as the Internet and other computernetworks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grownextraordinarily with widespread Internet usage. Commerce conducted inthis manner utilizes a complex web of innovations in electronic fundstransfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, onlinetransaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventorymanagement systems, automated data collection systems, and many others.Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least atsome point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass awider range of technologies such as e-mail as well. It would beadvantageous to utilize such electronic commerce systems to providepeer-to-peer and group financial management services.

Systems and methods for providing peer-to-peer and group financialmanagement are provided herein. An example system includes a paymentprocessor that executes software instructions for creating and managingelectronic payment accounts and an accounts database to store accountdata from the payment processor. The payment processor may be configuredto receive a payment request from a payer, the payment request includinginformation to identify a payee and a payment amount. The paymentprocessor may be further configured to determine if the accountsdatabase includes an account associated with the payee, and based on adetermination that the accounts database includes an account associatedwith the payee, send an electronic message to the payee that notifiesthe payee of the payment request. The payment processor may also beconfigured to access the accounts database to determine if the payee isidentified as having a trusted relationship with the payer, and based ona determination that the payee is identified in the accounts database ashaving a trusted relationship with the payer, access the accountsdatabase to transfer the payment amount from an account associated withthe payer to the account associated with the payee without firstreceiving authorization for the transfer from the payee.

A method of transferring funds from a payer to a payee in a electronicpayment system that includes a payment processor and an accountsdatabase may include the following steps: receiving at the paymentprocessor a payment request from the payer, the payment requestincluding information to identify the payee and a payment amount;accessing an accounts database to determine if the accounts databaseincludes an account associated with the payee; based on a determinationthat the accounts database includes an account associated with thepayee, sending an electronic message from the payment processor to thepayee that notifies the payee of the payment request; accessing theaccounts database to determine if the payee is identified as having atrusted relationship with the payer; and based on a determination thatthe payee is identified in the accounts database as having a trustedrelationship with the payer, the payment processor accessing theaccounts database to transfer the payment amount from an accountassociated with the payer to the account associated with the payeewithout first receiving authorization for the transfer from the payee.

A financial management system may include a primary account, asub-account associated with the primary account; and a payment processorfor controlling payments made to and from the primary and sub-accounts.A plurality of users have access to the sub-account, and a single userhas access to the primary account.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the present disclosure to be easily understood and readilypracticed, the present disclosure will now be described, for purposes ofillustration and not limitation, in conjunction with the followingfigures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example peer-to-peer financial managementsystem.

FIG. 2 depicts an example user interface that may be used to initiate apeer-to-peer payment request.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of another example in which the peer-to-peerfinancial management system is used to initiate payment to multiplepayees in a single request.

FIG. 4 depicts another example of a user interface that may be used toinitiate a peer-to-peer payment request.

FIG. 5 depicts another example of a user interface that may be used toinitiate a peer-to-peer payment request.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example method for performing anelectronic peer-to-peer financial transaction.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example in which a peer-to-peer financialmanagement system is used to request a payment.

FIG. 8 depicts an example user interface that may be used to initiate arequest for a peer-to-peer payment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of another example in which the peer-to-peerfinancial management system is used to request payment from multipleprospective payers in a single request.

FIG. 10 depicts another example of a user interface that may be used toinitiate a peer-to-peer request for payment.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an example method for performing anelectronic peer-to-peer financial transaction in which a payment isrequested.

FIG. 12 is a diagram that depicts an example group account in afinancial management system.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of hardware which may be used to implementthe various embodiment described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example peer-to-peer financial managementsystem 100. The system includes a payment processor 102 that is used tomanage a plurality of financial accounts 104, 106. The payment processor102 may, for example, be used to implement a payment service, such aspayclick by Visa™, in which a user 108, 110 may add funds to theirrespective the accounts 104, 106 in order to facilitate payments forelectronic transactions. The users 108, 110 may communicate with thepayment processor, for example over a computer network 112, to completeelectronic transactions, to manage account funding sources (e.g., creditcards, debit cards, bank accounts, etc.), and/or to perform otherfinancial or account management operations. An account, as used herein,may be a data structure stored in an accounts database that isaccessible by the payment processor. The accounts database may, forexample, be implemented using a single memory device or across multiplememory devices. In one example, the payment processor and the accountsdatabase may be included within one or more network servers.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the payment processor 102 is usedto perform a peer-to-peer transfer of funds from User A 108 to User B110. Specifically, User A 108 utilizes the payment processor 102 to makea payment for a specified amount to User B 110. To initiate the payment,User A communicates with the payment processor 102 over the computernetwork 112 to identify User B and to specify the amount to be paid.User B may be identified by providing a valid email address. The paymentprocessor 102 may then send an email to User B over the computer networkB that includes a notification that the payment has been initiated byUser A. If User B already has an account 106, then he may accept thepayment, for example by clicking on a link in the email. Once thepayment is accepted, the specified funds are electronically transferredfrom account A 104 to account B. If User B does not have an account inthe system, then the email notification may prompt User B to set up anaccount 106 with the payment processor 102 in order to receive payment.The specified funds may then be electronically transferred uponcompletion of the account registration by User B. Alternatively, User Bcould reject the requested payment, causing the funds to remain (orreturn to) account A 104.

FIG. 2 depicts an example user interface 120 that may be used toinitiate a peer-to-peer payment request. This user interface 120 may,for example, be provided to User A 108 by the payment processor 102 ofFIG. 1 to initiate a payment to anyone with an email address. The userinterface 120 includes a payee field 122 in which the user may enter theemail address of a person to whom he wants to make a payment and anamount field 124 in which the user may enter the amount of the payment.When an email address is entered into the payee field 122, the systemmay validate the entry as a proper email format and check to see if theemail address is associated with a current account. The system may alsoprompt the user to validate the amount entered into the amount field124. Then, in order to initiate the payment request by sending an emailnotification to the identified payee, the user inputs his password tofield 126 and selects a “Send Payment” input 128, such as a graphicalbutton. At this time, funds are reserved for payment until such time asthey are accepted, rejected, or a defined time limit is reached.

The example user interface 120 illustrated in FIG. 2 also includes atime limit field 130 that may be used to set a maximum number of daysfor which a pending payment will be valid. The time limit may, forexample, be selected from a drop-down menu, and may be used to configurea maximum number of days up to a predetermined limit (e.g., 120 days.)The system configured maximum number of days may, for example, be thedefault setting for the time limit field 130.

In addition, the user interface 120 may also include an “Add Payee toFriends List” input 132, such as a graphical button, that enables theuser to add the email address from the payee field 122 to a friends (ortrusted payee) list. In one example, when payments are made to a personin the friends list, the payment may be made to the payee's accountwithout it first being accepted by the payee. This may be limited toentries in the friends list that have been validated. For example, whenthe user enters a payee into his friends list, for example by pressingthe user interface input 128, an email may be sent to the payee invitingthem to become a “linked” friend. The payee may then respond byaccepting or denying the invitation. The payee may then only appear inthe friends list after having accepted the invitation. Any subsequentpayment between linked friends may then be made instantly, with thereceiving party receiving an email notification that payment has beenmade to his account.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of another example in which the peer-to-peerfinancial management system 140 is used to initiate payment to multiplepayees in a single request. In this example, User A 142 accesses thepayment processor 102 to simultaneously initiate a payment to both UserB 144 and User C 146. To initiate the payment, User A 142 communicateswith the payment processor 102 over the computer network 112 to identifythe payees 144, 146 and to specify the amount to be paid to each. Thepayees 144, 146 may, for example, be identified by providing the paymentprocessor 102 with valid email addresses. The payment processor 102 maythen send emails to the identified payees 144, 146 over the computernetwork 112 that include notifications that payment has been initiatedby User A. Similar to the single payee example described above withreference to FIG. 1, the payees 144, 146 in this example may havealready-existing accounts 148, 150 or may set up new account in responseto the payment notification. Once payment is authorized by a payee, theidentified funds are transferred to their respective accounts 148, 150by the payment processor 102. If the payee 144, 146 has an existingaccount, then payment may be authorized in response to the paymentnotification email, for example by selecting a link within the email.Alternatively, if the payee 144, 146 does not have an existing account,then payment may be authorized by successfully registering a new accountwith the payment processor 102.

FIG. 4 depicts another example of a user interface 160 that may be usedto initiate a peer-to-peer payment request. In this example, the userinterface 160 is used to initiate a simultaneous payment to multiplepayees, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Additional payee rows 162, 164 areadded to the interface 160 by selecting an “Add Payee” input 166. Eachpayee row 162, 164 includes a payee field 168, 170 and an amount field172, 174. When an email address is entered into the payee fields 162,170, the system may validate the entry as having a proper email formatand may also determine if the email address is associated with a currentaccount. The system may also prompt the user to validate the amountentered into the amount fields 172, 174.

The amount fields 172, 174 may be populated by either (a) entering asingle amount in the first payee row 162 and selecting a “same amount”input which automatically populates the amount field 174 in anyremaining rows 164, or (b) entering a specific amount in each payee rowwhich may or may not be the same as the amount in any other row. A totalpayment amount 178 may also be displayed to tabulate the total of allpayments in the payee rows 162, 164. The total payment amount 178 mayalso be used by the payment processor 102 to compare the requested totalpayment 178 with the available balance in the payer's account. Thesystem may, for example, provide an in-line notification if the totalpayment 178 exceeds the balance in the payer's account.

The value of a single payment (e.g., as shown in FIG. 2) or the totalvalue of multiple payments 178 may trigger different interface optionsdepending on the current balance in the payer's account. For instance,if the total amount of payment is less than the current balance in thepayer's account, then the payment may be initiated by sending emailnotifications to the identified payees upon successful entry of apassword 180 and selection of the “send payment” input 182. In oneexample, the payment processor 102 may enable an account holder toauthorize an automatic, recurring deposit to his account. If the totalpayment amount is more than the current balance in the payer's accountand such a recurring deposit has been authorized, then the paymentprocessor 102 may first process the recurring deposit and then processthe requested payment (after successful entry of the password 180). Inaddition, if the total payment amount is more than the payer's currentbalance and no recurring deposit is authorized, then the paymentprocessor 102 may prompt the payer to add funds to his account or toeliminate or reduce amounts 172, 174 from the requested payment.

FIG. 5 depicts another example of a user interface 190 that may be usedto initiate a peer-to-peer payment request. In this example, the userinterface also includes a recurring payment field 192. The recurringpayment field 192 enables the payer to select a specific interval atwhich to repeat the single or multiple payment. For example, a recurringpayment 192 may be set to automatically make a payment that is due everymonth. When a recurring payment is selected, the payment processor 102may, for example, allow the payer to select an option to automaticallyadd any needed funds to his account should the balance be insufficientto complete the recurring payment.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram 200 of an example method for performing anelectronic peer-to-peer financial transaction. The electronic payment isinitiated at step 210 by identifying the payee and the amount to betransferred from the payer's account to the payee's account. The payeemay, for example, be identified by providing a valid email address. Itshould be understood, that either a single or multiple payees may beidentified in step 210. In step 212, the email address for the payee andthe amount designated for transfer are validated. For instance, themethod may validate that the email has been entered using a proper emailformat and may prompt the user to verify the entered payment amount. Ifthe validation is not successful, then the method returns to step 210.Otherwise the method proceeds to step 214 to determine if the payeeemail address corresponds to an existing account. If it does, then themethod proceeds to step 216. Otherwise, if there is no existing accountcorresponding to the payee email address, then the method proceeds tostep 218.

If the payee has an existing account, the payment is initiated at step216 and an email notification is sent to the payee at step 220. At step222, the method determines if the payee is included in a trustedaccounts list (e.g., the payer's friends list). If the payee has atrusted account, then the payment may be made automatically, withoutrequiring acceptance, and the method proceeds directly to step 224 toprocess the payment and transfer the funds. Otherwise, if the payee doesnot have a trusted account, then the method proceeds to step 226.

During the payment initiation step 210, the payer may also identify atime limit for which the pending payment will be valid. Otherwise, adefault time limit may be used. In either case, the time limit forcompleting the payment is tracked at step 226. If the payment is notcompleted before expiration of the time limit, then the method proceedsto step 228 and the funds are returned to (or remain in) the payer'saccount. Otherwise, the method proceeds to step 230 where the methodwaits for the payee to accept or reject the payment. Payment may beaccepted or rejected, for example, by the payee selecting an appropriatelink provided in the email notification. In another example, the payeemay accept or reject payment by logging into his account and selectingan option to accept or reject the pending payment. If payment isaccepted, then the method proceeds to step 224 to process the paymentand transfer the funds. If payment is rejected, then the method proceedsto step 228 and the funds are returned to (or remain in) the payer'saccount.

If the payee does not have an existing account, then the methodestablishes an account for the payee at step 218 and sends an emailnotification to the payee of the requested payment at step 232. At step234, the method tracks the time limit for completing the transaction. Iftime expires before the payment is processed, then the method proceedsto step 228 and the funds are returned to (or remain in) the payer'saccount. Payment may be accepted by the payee at step 236 by completinga registration process for the new account. For instance, the emailnotification may provide the payee with an Internet address for logginginto the system and signing up for the account. If the account sign-upis completed by the payee, then the payment is accepted and the methodproceeds to step 224 to process the payment and transfer the funds.Otherwise, if the payee declines to sign-up for an account or otherwiserefuses the payment, then the funds are returned to (or remain in) thepayer's account at step 228.

FIG. 7 is an example in which the peer-to-peer financial managementsystem 300 is used to request a payment. In this example, User A 302accesses the payment processor 102 to request a payment from User B 304,who may or may not have an existing account 106. To request the payment,User A 302 communicates with the payment processor 102 over the computernetwork 112 to identify the payer 304 and to specify the requestedamount to be paid. The prospective payer 304 may, for example, beidentified by providing the payment processor 102 with a valid emailaddress. The payment processor 102 may then send an email to User B 304over the computer network 112 that includes a request for payment of theidentified amount. If User B has an existing account 106, then he mayauthorize or deny the payment, for example by clicking on a link in theemail. Alternatively, User B 304 could authorize or deny payment bylogging into his account with the payment processor 102 and selecting anoption to authorize the requested transaction. If User B 304 does nothave an existing account, then the email notification may prompt User Bto set up an account 106 with the payment processor 102. The requestedfunds may then be electronically transferred upon completion of theaccount registration and necessary account funding by User B 304.

FIG. 8 depicts an example user interface 310 that may be used toinitiate a request for a peer-to-peer payment. This user interface 310may, for example, be provided to User A 302 by the payment processor 102of FIG. 7 to initiate the payment request from User B 304. The userinterface 310 includes a payer field 312 in which the user may enter theemail address of the person from whom the payment is requested and anamount field 314 in which the user may enter the amount of the requestedpayment. When an email address is entered into the payer field 312, thesystem may validate the entry as a proper email format and check to seeif the email address is associated with an existing account. The systemmay also prompt the user to verify the amount entered into the amountfield 314. Then, in order to initiate the payment request by sending anemail notification to the prospective payer, the user inputs hispassword to field 316 and selects the “send payment request” input 318.

The example user interface 310 illustrated in FIG. 8 also includes atime limit field 320 that may be used to set a maximum number of daysfor which the pending transaction will be valid. The time limit may, forexample, be selected from a drop-down menu, and may be used to configurea maximum number of days up to a predetermined limit. A default settingfor the time limit field 320 may also be provided by the system. In oneexample, the predetermined maximum time limit that may be entered intothe time limit field 320 may correspond with the default time limit setby the system.

FIG. 9 is a diagram of another example in which the peer-to-peerfinancial management system 330 is used to request payment from multipleprospective payers in a single request. In this example, User A 332accesses the payment processor 102 to simultaneously initiate a requestfor payment to both User B 334 and User C 336. To initiate the paymentrequest, User A 332 communicates with the payment processor 102 over thecomputer network 112 to identify the prospective payers 334, 336 and tospecify the amount requested from each. The payers 334, 336 may, forexample, be identified by providing the payment processor 102 with validemail addresses. The payment processor 102 may then send emails to theprospective payers 334, 336 over the computer network 112 that includenotifications of the requested payment initiated by User A 332. Similarto the single payer example described above with reference to FIG. 7,the payers 334, 336 in this example may have existing accounts 338, 340or may set up new accounts in response to the payment request. Ifpayment is authorized by a payer, the identified funds are transferredfrom the payer account 338 or 340 to User A's account 342. If the payer334, 336 has an existing account, then payment may be authorized ordenied in response to the email notification, for example by selectingan appropriate link within the email. Alternatively, if the payer 334,336 does not have an existing account, then payment may be authorized bysuccessfully registering a new account with the payment processor 102and adding the necessary funds to the account.

FIG. 10 depicts another example of a user interface 350 that may be usedto initiate a peer-to-peer request for payment. In this example, theuser interface 350 is used to initiate a simultaneous payment requestfrom multiple prospective payers, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Additionalpayer rows 352, 354 are added to the interface by selecting an “AddPayer” input 356. Each payer row 352, 354 includes a payer field 358,360 and an amount field 362, 364. When an email address is entered intothe payer fields 358, 360, the system may verify that the entry is in aproper email format and determine if the email address is associatedwith a current account. The system may also prompt the user to verifythe amount(s) entered into the amount fields 362, 364.

The amount fields 362, 364 may be populated be either (a) entering asingle amount in the first payer row 352 and selecting the “same amount”input 366, or (b) entering a specific amount into each payer row 352,354 which may or may not be the same as the amount in any other row. Atotal payment amount 368 may also be displayed to tabulate the total ofall requested payments in the payer rows 352, 354. In another example,the user interface may enable the user to enter a “goal amount” and thenthe total payments requested may be validated to match the goal amount.

The user interface 350 in this example also includes a time limit field370 to set a maximum time limit for the transaction and a recurringpayment field 372. The recurring payment field 372 enables the user toselect a specific interval at which to repeat the single or multiplepayment request. For example, a recurring payment 372 may be set toautomatically make a payment request each month and/or generatedocumentation related to the payment, such as a tax invoice.

Once the appropriate fields in the user interface have been completed,the user may send the payment requests by entering his password into thepassword field 374 and selecting the “Send Payment Request” input 376.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram 400 of an example method for performing anelectronic peer-to-peer financial transaction in which a payment isrequested. The payment request is initiated at step 410 by identifyingthe prospective payer and the amount of the payment request. Theprospective payer may, for example, be identified by providing a validemail address. It should be understood, that either a single or multiplepayers may be identified in step 410. In step 412, the email address forthe payer and the amount of the requested payment are validated. Forinstance, the method may validate that the email has been entered usinga proper email format and may prompt the user to verify the enteredpayment amount. If the validation is not successful, then the methodreturns to step 410. Otherwise the method proceeds to step 414 todetermine if the payer email address corresponds to an existing account.If it does, then the method proceeds to step 416. Otherwise, if there isno existing account corresponding to the payer email address, then themethod proceeds to step 418.

If the prospective payer has an existing account, an email notificationrequesting the payment is sent to the payer at step 416. During thepayment request initiation step 410, the user may also identify a timelimit for which the requested payment will be valid. Otherwise, adefault time limit may be used. In either case, the time limit forcompleting the payment is tracked at step 420. If the payment is notcompleted before expiration of the time limit, then the method proceedsto step 422 and a rejection notification is sent to the user. Otherwise,the method proceeds to step 424 where the method waits for theprospective payer to accept or reject the requested payment. Payment maybe accepted or rejected, for example, by the payer selecting anappropriate link provided in the email notification. In another example,the payer may accept or reject payment by logging into his account andselecting an option to accept or reject the requested payment. Inaddition, the payment authorization step 424 may also enable theprospective payer to add any necessary funds to his or her account tocomplete the transaction. If payment is accepted, then the methodproceeds to step 426 to process the payment and transfer the funds. Ifpayment is rejected, then the method proceeds to step 422 and arejection notification is sent to the requester.

If the prospective payer does not have an existing account, then themethod establishes an account for the payer at step 418 and sends anemail notification to the payer of the requested payment at step 428. Atstep 430, the method tracks the time limit for completing thetransaction. If time expires before the payment is processed, then themethod proceeds to step 422 and a rejection notification is sent to therequester. Payment may be authorized by the payer at step 432 bycompleting a registration process for the new account and adding thenecessary funds to complete the transaction. For instance, the emailnotification may provide the payer with an Internet address for logginginto the system and signing up for the account. If the account sign-upand necessary account funding is completed by the payer, then thepayment is authorized and the method proceeds to step 426 to process thepayment and transfer the funds. Otherwise, if the prospective payerdeclines to sign-up for an account or otherwise refuses the payment,then a rejection notification is sent to the requester at step 422.

FIG. 12 is a diagram that depicts an example group account in afinancial management system 500. As illustrated, the payment processor102 may enable a user 502 to have both a primary account 504 and one ormore sub-accounts 506. The accounts may be set up such that the user 502has sole ownership of the primary account 504 and primary ownership,control and responsibility for the sub-account 506. Other users 508-510may then be invited by the primary owner 502 to share access to asub-account 506. It should be noted that certain tax regulations,AML/CTL and other regulations may control how ownership of a sub-accountmay be shared.

The invited users 508-510 may be given different levels of sub-accountaccess by the primary user 502. For instance, a user 508 may be providedread-only access of the sub-account 506 so that he or she is able to seethe account status and any recent activity. Another user 509 may begiven co-authority for the sub-account 506 to perform specific actions,such as the ability to request payments to the sub-account from others.Another user 510 may be given approval authority for the sub-account506. Approval authority may, for example, enable the user 510 to setspecific tasks which require one or more members of the account toapprove actions before they are taken. For instance, before an outboundpayment requested by a user 510 with approval authority is made, one ormore other members must approve the payment, preferably using theirsecurity password, before payment is processed.

The payment processor 102 may also be able to configure and require asingle or recurring membership fees from one or more members of asub-account 506. In another example, the payment processor 102 may beconfigured to pay out a single or recurring dividend from thesub-account to one or more of its members. The payment processor 102 mayalso be configured to, by default, send the primary account owner 502 anemail and account notification when any payments are made (or fail) fromthe sub-account 506. The primary account owner 502 may also be able toselect other members 508-510 to receive such notifications. The members508-510 may be given the option to accept or reject such notificationsbefore activated.

In one example, the payment processor 102 may establish an audit trailthat records who has performed what actions with the sub-account. Thisoption may, for example, be provided in an account user interface.

The payment processor 102 may also be configured to provide acommunication process with one or more of the members 502, 508-510 of agroup account 506. This may include the ability for members of the groupaccount 506 to subscribe to receive periodic updates on the accountstatus via email or some other means. It may also include the abilityfor account members to elect to receive email notifications of specificevents on the account or to receive email prompts and reminders foractions which the member is responsible (e.g., a payment requested fromthe member or an authorization that the member needs to provide for apending payment.)

The payment processor 102 may also be used to set up specific financialgoals for a group account 506. For instance, a specific group savings orfinancial goal may be configured in connection with the account 506 sothat all inbound payments are contributed towards the goal. The paymentprocessor 102 may communicate the status of the goal, for instance byproviding a visual status indicator in a user interface. In addition,the expenditure of the achieved goal amount may either (1) require oneor multiple authorities before it can be executed, or (2) may beinitially set-up to be pre-authorized and automated to automaticallyprocess the goal transaction (e.g., when the goal is met).

FIG. 13 is a block diagram of hardware 1010 which may be used toimplement the various embodiments of the method of the presentinvention, such as the payment processor described above. The hardware1010 may be a personal computer system or server system that includes acomputer 1012 having as input devices keyboard 1014, mouse 1016, andmicrophone 1018. Output devices such as a monitor 1020 and speakers 1022may also be provided. The reader will recognize that other types ofinput and output devices may be provided and that the present inventionis not limited by the particular hardware configuration.

Residing within computer 1012 is a main processor 1024 which iscomprised of a host central processing unit 1026 (CPU). Softwareapplications 1027, such as the method of the present invention, may beloaded from, for example, disk 1028 (or other device), into main memory1029 from which the software application 1027 may be run on the host CPU1026. The main processor 1024 operates in conjunction with a memorysubsystem 1030. The memory subsystem 1030 is comprised of the mainmemory 1029, which may be comprised of a number of memory components,and a memory and bus controller 1032 which operates to control access tothe main memory 1029. The main memory 1029 and controller 1032 may be incommunication with a graphics system 1034 through a bus 1036. Otherbuses may exist, such as a PCI bus 1037, which interfaces to I/O devicesor storage devices, such as disk 1028 or a CDROM, or to provide networkaccess.

Following are several non-limiting examples of how the financialmanagement systems and methods described above with reference to FIGS.1-13 may be utilized. In certain examples, the financial managementsystems and methods may be used for group social savings. For instance,in the case of a one time event, a group may contribute towards the costof the event. For instance, in the example of a milestone party (e.g., a21^(st) birthday) where a deposit needs to be made in advance, the groupmay use a group account, invitation to join the group, a request forpayment from members of the group, an expenditure of money to make therequired deposit(s) and other payments with possible need for multipleuser's authorization before the payments are made. In another example, agroup trip that requires a group deposit or fee may utilize a groupaccount, an invitation to join the group, a request for payment frommembers of the group, an expenditure of money to make requireddeposit(s) and other payments with the possible need for multiple user'sauthorization before these payments are made.

In another example, a group social saving account may be utilized for anongoing activity in which a group contributes to a pool of funds forapplication to the ongoing activities of the group. For instance, a clubwith membership activities may use a group account, an invitation tojoin the group, a request for a recurring payment from members of thegroup, an automated expenditure of money to pay the regular fees duefrom the group and other payments with the possible need for multipleuser's authorization before these payments are made.

In other examples, the financial management systems and methods may beutilized for charity fund raising. For instance, the systems and methodsmay be used for recurring charity donations, for instance to enable acharitable organization to invite account holders to become “friends” ofthe charity and then set up recurring donations to the charity'saccount. In another example, a charity event may be managed using thefinancial management systems and methods. An example process flow forthis may be as follows:

i. the charity creates a system account for a specific fund raisingevent and sets up a profile for the specific charity event (e.g., toprovide overview information and explain how sponsorship works);

ii. the charity invites people to join the fundraising drive, e.g., ifthe people invited by email already have an existing system account,then they would set up the charity as a “friend”, or if they do not havean existing account they would receive an email prompt to create anaccount; if they enroll in the charity drive via the charity website orother online asset instead of an email invitation, then they may linkthrough to account registration as part of an online process on thecharity site;

iii. the user joins a charity sub-account, which would actually be asub-account for the account of the charitable organization (not theuser's account);

iv. from this sub-account, the user sends sponsorship invitations out tofriends by entering their email addresses;

v. invitees receive an email request to sponsor the initial user (ifthey have an account already they go straight to the interface in thenext step, if not they create an account first);

vi. invitees see the charity interface which tells them who invited themto sponsor, what the charity event is about and how it works, and thenprompts the invitee to:

-   -   a. enter an amount to sponsor the user per unit completed, or    -   b. enter a set amount to sponsor the user, and    -   c. agree to terms and conditions and authorize the sponsorship        pledge with the entry of their security password;

vii. when the user completes the event, he or she goes on to a userinterface and enters the total units completed, and then collects on aninput to “collect sponsorship donations”, which are processedautomatically and immediately;

viii. if any sponsor does not have sufficient funds in their account ofthe donation and no automatic funding has been authorized, then thedonation may come straight from a default funding source instead (e.g.as agreed to in the terms and conditions of the sponsorship); if theyhave no default funding source configured, then the sponsor may receivean email prompting them to complete the donation payment;

ix. all sponsors may receive an email informing them that the event hasbeen completed, how the user did in the event and confirming that thedonation transaction has been completed, with all necessary details touse the email as a tax receipt.

In other examples, the financial management systems and methods may beutilized for group financial management. For instance, a group accountused to achieve the financial goal may be to pay a group bill, e.g.,rent, electricity, a phone bill for a shared house, etc. This may beachieved by sending out invitations to join the group account,requesting a one time or recurring payment from the members of thegroup, and providing for the automated expenditure of money to pay theregular bills due from the group with the possible need for multipleuser's authorization before some payments are made. Integration with abill payment portal may also be available to allow the bill to come intothe account when issued, be viewable by all participants in the group,and be automatically paid when all participants have contributed theirshare. Advanced functions may allow line-item allocation from the billdependent on the format of delivery of the bill by the issuer. Anexample process flow for this is as follows:

i. account owner associates specific billers with their group account(assumes integration with a bill payment portal/service);

ii. paperless bills are delivered directly to the account;

iii. account owner allocates total amount to each bill to members of thegroup, requesting payment from each for their share;

iv. when all individuals have paid, the bill is automatically paid fromthe group account;

v. for bills that are of the same amount each month, the above could beset up to be automatically recurring;

vi. in an advanced scenario, bills could be delivered itemized andindividual items could be allocated to individual group members toautomatically generate the total due from each after all items areallocated;

vii. in a scenario where there is no integration with a bill paymentportal/service or where the biller does not participate in the service,the account owner may create the bill by entering the bill name andamount, and then proceed with allocation to members of the group; whenall payments are collected, the account owner would need to manually paythe bill, either directly from the group account or by withdrawing thefunds and paying through an external payment source.

In other examples, the financial management systems and methods may beutilized for peer-to-peer lending. For instance, the loan marketplacemay be an integrated external system and would manage all aspects oflisting a loan, bidding on a loan and managing the loan. The financialmanagement systems and methods may then be used to shift funds betweenlenders and lendees.

Embodiments of the subject matter and the functional operationsdescribed in this specification can be implemented in digital electroniccircuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including thestructures disclosed in this specification and their structuralequivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Embodiments ofthe subject matter described in this specification can be implemented asone or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules ofcomputer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium forexecution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus.

The computer-readable medium can be a machine-readable storage device, amachine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition ofmatter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combinationof one or more of them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompassesall apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including byway of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multipleprocessors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition tohardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computerprogram in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, aprotocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or acombination of one or more of them, A propagated signal is anartificially generated signal, e.g., a machine-generated electrical,optical, or electromagnetic signal, that is generated to encodeinformation for transmission to suitable receiver apparatus.

A computer program (also known as a program, software, softwareapplication, script, or code), can be written in any form of programminglanguage, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can bedeployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module,component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computingenvironment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to afile in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a filethat holds other programs or data (e.g., on or more scripts stored in amarkup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program inquestion, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store oneor more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer programcan be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computersthat are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites andinterconnected by a communication network.

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can beperformed by one or more programmable processors executing one or morecomputer programs to perform functions by operating on input data andgenerating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performedby, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logiccircuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC(application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, byway of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, andany one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, aprocessor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory ora random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer area processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devicesfor storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will alsoinclude, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer datato, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g.,magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computerneed not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded inanother device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant(PDA), a mobile audio player, a Global Positioning System (GPS)receiver, to name just a few. Computer-readable media suitable forstoring computer program instructions and data include all forms ofnonvolatile memory, media, and memory devices, including by way ofexample semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flashmemory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removabledisks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. Theprocessor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in,special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subjectmatter described in this specification can be implemented on a computerhaving a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) to LCD (liquidcrystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and akeyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by whichthe user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices canbe used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example,feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g.,visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input fromthe user can be received in any from, including acoustic, speech, ortactile input.

Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can beimplemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component,e.g., as a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g.,an application server, or that includes a front-end component, e.g., aclient computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browserthrough which a user can interact with an implementation of the subjectmatter described in this specification, or any combination of one ormore such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The componentsof the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digitaldata communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples ofcommunication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a widearea network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.

The computing system can include clients and servers. A client andserver are generally remote from each other and typically interactthrough a communication network. The relationship of client and serverarises by virtue of computer programs running on the respectivecomputers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

While this specification contains many specifics, these should not beconstrued as limitations on the scope of the invention or of what may beclaimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particularembodiments of the invention. Certain features that are described inthis specification in the context or separate embodiments can also beimplemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures that are described in the context of a single embodiment canalso be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in anysuitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be describedabove as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed assuch, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some casesbe excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may bedirected o a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particularorder, this should not be understood as requiring that such operationsbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processingmay be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various systemcomponents in the embodiments described above should not be understoodas requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should beunderstood that the described program components and systems cangenerally be integrated together in a single software product orpackaged into multiple software products.

Thus, particular embodiments of the invention have been described. Otherembodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example,the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different orderand still achieve desirable results.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method performed by a payment processorthat executes software instructions for creating and managing electronicpayment accounts on a financial management system, the methodcomprising: associating an account with an account owner; receiving,through a user interface from the account owner, entries that specify abill to be associated with the account, members of a group to beassociated with the account, for each member, the respective member'sshare of a total amount of the bill, and different levels of accountaccess for different members, the different levels of account accessdiffering in terms of read-only access to see account status and recentactivity, co-authority to request payments to the account from others,or approval authority for approving payment of the bill before thepayment is processed; sending, by the payment processor, a request, toeach member of the group, to receive the member's share of the totalamount; receiving, by the payment processor, from each member, themember's share of the total amount; and paying the bill, by the paymentprocessor, automatically upon receiving all of the shares of the totalamount of the bill; wherein the bill is an itemized paperless billdelivered directly to the payment processor, and wherein the paymentprocessor automatically allocates itemized amounts in the bill toindividual members of the group; wherein the receiving steps, thesending step and the paying step are performed by the payment processor.2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the bill beforethe sending step, and wherein the sending is in response to receivingthe bill.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, before the stepof receiving entries through a user interface from the account owner,integrating the group account with an issuer of the bill such that thepayment processor receives the bill directly from the issuer of thebill.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of receiving entriesthrough a user interface from the account owner includes receiving thebill through a user interface.
 5. The method of claim 1 wherein theentries specify a time period for paying the bill on a recurring basis,and the sending recurs based on the time period.
 6. The method of claim1 wherein the sending of the request is through emails to the respectivemembers.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the bill is a rent bill, anelectricity bill or a phone bill.
 8. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising: rendering the bill viewable by the members of the group. 9.The method of claim 1 further comprising: communicating, to the members,a status indicator that indicates progress of receiving of the members'shares toward the total amount.
 10. The method of claim 1 wherein theuser interface is configured to input a total goal amount and tovalidate that the total goal amount matches a sum of the allocatedmembers' shares.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the entries thatidentify the members of the group are the respective members' emailaddresses.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein the entries specify a timelimit for payment of the members' shares.
 13. The method of claim 12wherein the account is a primary account, and the method furthercomprising: sending a request, to a member of the group, to open, forthe member, a member account from which future payments to the primaryaccount will be taken.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein the receivingof the member's share includes the payment processor withdrawing amember's share from an account opened by the member.
 15. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising: paying a dividend to each member on arecurring basis.
 16. The method of claim 1 wherein the bill relates to afundraising event for a charitable organization, and the account is anaccount of the charitable organization.
 17. The method of claim 1wherein the entries specify an activity whose completion will prompt thereceiving of the members' shares.
 18. The method of claim 17 furthercomprising: receiving, from the user, an indication that the activity iscompleted; and in response, automatically collecting the members' sharesfrom accounts of the members.